sweet things Archive

Tomorrow morning, I will wake up long before the sun comes up and I will drag my sleepy self to the airport. Clad in borrowed snow boots and a down coat, I’ll board a plane to Minneapolis.

It was -26 in Minneapolis earlier this week. I can’t even imagine what that kind of cold feels like, honestly. I certainly don’t have the clothing for such temperatures. I’ve cobbled together a borrowed wardrobe of snow clothing and I’m hoping for the best. I may just hole up in the Mall of America for the week. (I can subsist on Cinnabon and roller coasters!)

It should go without saying that Minnesota in March is not my dream vacation. But, my middle sister now lives in Minneapolis and she’s turning the big 3-0 this week. She insisted that she had to have both of her sisters with her on her 30th, and so we agreed to make the trek to the frigid Midwest.

Since there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of sunshine in my immediate future, I decided to make my own sunshine in the kitchen. One of the best things about winter is the abundance of citrus. Even on the darkest and gloomiest of days, the mere scent of citrus brightens my spirits.

This cake is the perfect remedy for wintertime blues. It’s decidedly simple, and the Meyer lemons truly shine through the batter. If you need a little sunshine in your life, I suggest you give this cake a try.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Next, fold the vegetable oil into the batter until it is combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine 1 tablespoon of sugar, the remaining lemon juice, and the vanilla bean seeds. Heat over med-low, until sugar dissolves and mixture is clear. Remove from heat.

When the cake is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Remove from pan and place on a baking rack. Pour the glaze over the cake and allow it to soak in. Allow to cool before serving.

We are officially in the throes of pumpkin season. For as much as I gripe about pumpkin spiced lattes and other seasonal pumpkin atrocities, I really do love pumpkin. It’s a fantastic and versatile winter squash. Pumpkin is phenomenal in a myriad of baked goods – cakes, cookies, pies, etc – but pumpkin also tastes great in soups and stews, salads, curries, and other savory applications. (Let it be known that I will never, ever, ever like pumpkin in a latte. It’s not happening, people.)

Of all the pumpkin preparations, however, the pumpkin pancake is my favorite. Pumpkin pancakes are the epitome of comfort food. They’re good eats, plain and simple.

I’ve been making a version of this recipe for years, but haven’t posted it on the blog until now. (I’ve been holding out on y’all!) These pancakes are fluffy and moist and they actually taste like pumpkin. They’re so damn good. I wish I could take credit for the cream cheese butter, but I borrowed the idea from Utopia Cafe in Portland, OR. I think the cream cheese butter is a brilliant and decadent addition to the pancakes. You must try it for yourself.

Lastly, this post is dedicated to my sister, Danielle. She’s the only person I know who loves pancakes more than I do, and has a strange obsession with the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP. I simply can’t eat pumpkin pancakes without thinking of her.

To make the cream cheese butter, mix together equal parts cream cheese and butter. This can be done using a spatula or an electric mixer. Blend until well combined. (Note: I do not sweeten or season the cream cheese butter, as I pour syrup over the cream cheese butter and pancakes.)

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil). In another bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined, do not over mix.

Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. (Note: you know the pan is ready when water droplets dance across the surface of the pan.) Pour batter into small circles on the pan and allow each pancake to cook for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side. Serve pancakes warm, with cream cheese butter and maple syrup.

A couple of weeks ago, I went apple picking in Hood River with my friend Adriana.

Long before we picked our buckets apples, we had grand plans for them. Adriana wanted to try her hand at apple butter for the first time. I was determined to make a simple and unsweetened rustic applesauce. There would be cakes and pies and galettes galore.

When I got home, I realized that I had picked a never-ending supply of apples. I successfully made (and canned) a batch of unsweetened chunky applesauce (and it was delicious). I made rosemary apple butter. I made butternut squash and apple soup (twice!).

After all of that, I still had apples.

I knew what I had to do with the rest of the apples — they needed to be baked into delicious treats — but I was a little hesitant. Truth be told, I’m a little terrified of baking desserts. It’s not that I don’t like dessert. On the contrary, I really, really like dessert. I just didn’t do a whole lot of baking in my younger years. You see, my sisters are the bakers in my family. I’m the cook. (I make Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and they make all the pies. It’s tradition.)

All of that to say, I’m a little bit rusty in the baking department. It had been awhile since I’d made a proper tart dough, and I was a little bit nervous for how it would turn out. Thankfully, it turned out beautifully. It’s such a simple tart, and it really highlights the beauty of perfectly ripe apples. It’s simple, seasonal, and it might be my new favorite dessert. I’m not so sure what I was afraid of, but I’m glad I rolled up my sleeves and dove into a little seasonal baking.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the egg and dry ingredients, and beat until the mixture comes together as an evenly formed mass. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (Dough can be made one day ahead of time.)

Once the dough is chilled, roll dough into a thin circle (slightly larger than your tart pan). Working quickly, line the tart pan with the dough. Trim off any excess dough that hangs over the edges. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times.

Toss apple slices with lemon juice, nutmeg, and half of the thyme. Working from the outside toward the center, lay the apple slices in the tart shell in a circular pattern, overlapping them slightly.

Gently whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, and vanilla, until just combined. Pour the custard mixture over the apple slices. Sprinkle the rest of the thyme over the custard and apples.

Bake tart at 375 F until the crust is golden and center is set, 30 to 40 minutes. (Note: if you find your crust is browning too quickly, cover the tart with aluminum foil for the duration of baking.) Allow the tart to cool before serving.

Two weeks ago, I went out to dinner with my family to celebrate my 31st birthday. My mom and sister were particularly excited for me to open my gifts, as they had already informed me that they’d chosen the perfect gift. As I unwrapped the presents, a theme began to unfold before me: a beautiful vintage cobbler pan, a cookbook for rustic fruit desserts. And lastly, a gift certificate to a local nursery. Specifically, a gift certificate for fruit trees.

I didn’t get it at first. Don’t get me wrong, I love fruit trees and I was very excited at the prospect of having my very own. But I wasn’t sure why they were so excited to give me fruit trees. And then they explained it: they gave me the gift of fruit trees because I’m the one that’s staying.

As I mentioned previously, my sister and her husband and daughter are moving to Minneapolis to work with the urban poor. Specifically, they will working with the large population of Somalian refugees that have settled in Minneapolis. (To read more about what they’ll be doing in Minneapolis, check out their blog.)

On Friday, my sister and I will pack all of her earthly belongings into a Subaru wagon and we will then drive halfway across the country. We’ll see a lot of Montana and North Dakota, and eventually we’ll land in Minneapolis. My mom, brother-in-law, and niece will fly out a few days later and will join us, as we attempt to settle them into their new life in Minnesota.

To be completely honest, I’m a little bit of a wreck. I’m just not ready to say goodbye to them. Selfishly, I want them to stay here, but, in my heart I know that it’s their time to go. I know that this is what they are supposed to be doing. I’m heartbroken, and yet so proud.

And while they are off in Minneapolis doing amazing things, I’m going to plant some fruit trees and put down roots. I’m going to do everything I can to provide them with love and support them from afar.

That being said, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to bake another cobbler or crisp without getting a little bit sappy. I definitely blubbered a bit while baking this crisp (and also while writing this post).

So without further delay, I’d like to share this recipe for you. It’s quite lovely.

(Note: I’m still undecided as to what fruit trees I want. I’m currently thinking I’d like a Meyer lemon tree and a blueberry bush. What do you think I should plant?)

Note: The original recipe calls for 6 cups of blueberries (and does not use blackberries), which fills a 9×13 pan. I made less filling (4 cups of berries), and filled a 9×5 pan and a small ramekin. I did make the same amount of crumble as the original recipe called for, as I like to have a lot of crumble!

In a small bowl, mix the berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Mash the berries a bit (with a fork or spoon), and season with nutmeg and dried basil. Transfer the berry mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse together the butter, flour, and brown sugar. Process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Once combined, add in the pecans and process for a couple of seconds – until the pecans are chopped and incorporated into the mixture.

In a small bowl, gently toss the butter/flour/pecan mixture with the oats, cinnamon and salt. When combined, sprinkle this mixture over the berries in the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crumb top is golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. The crisp is great hot or cold, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

**Funny side note: I tried to make fresh basil whipped cream to go atop this lovely crisp. I made it two different ways, and each time it was a dismal failure. That being said, I scrapped the idea of basil whipped cream and topped the crisp with vanilla bean ice cream. It was super delicious.

However, I don’t think that description does this dessert justice. This panna cotta is light and creamy, sweet but not cloying. The addition of honey, lavender and vanilla give the dish a subtle and lovely complexity. In addition, it’s the perfect summertime dessert, as it requires very little cooking.

And it should be said that this dessert is just really, really pretty. Not only does it taste good, but it’s just so lovely to look at.

Therefore, I implore you, friends: go forth and make this milky jello!

Method:
Prepare four small dishes (cups, mugs, ramekins, etc) by greasing them with a small amount of canola or vegetable oil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons of water. Allow the gelatin to ‘blossom’. Let sit for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk, cream, and honey over medium-low heat. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife, and scrape out all of the vanilla seeds. Stir the vanilla into the milk. Add in the scraped vanilla pod and the lavender. Heat for 10 minutes, or until the milk is warmed all the way through and the honey is dissolved and combined with the cream.

Strain out the vanilla pods and lavender, using a mesh strainer or cheese cloth. When the milk mixture is still warm, stir in the gelatin mixture until combined. Pour contents into the containers. Refrigerate for 6 hours (or overnight), until set.

30 minutes prior to serving, slice the peach(es) and toss with sugar, lemon juice, lavender and thyme. Allow the peaches to sit for 30 minutes or more, in order to get the juices flowing.

When ready to serve, remove the panna cottas from the fridge and top with a spoonful of the peach mixture. Enjoy!

When life hands you lemons – or a vintage recipe for Lemon Sponge Pie – make popsicles. (That’s what I always say, anyway…)

For this installment of the Recipe Swap, Christianna from Burwell General Store selected a recipe for Lemon Sponge Pie. The recipe actually looks pretty great (unlike the infamous “Ham Snails“), but I just couldn’t bring myself to bake a pie.

It doesn’t get hot in Portland very often, but when it does the whole city shuts down. We all turn into whiny, melty puddles. It’s a bit pathetic, really.

That being said, I am guilty of being a whiny, melty puddle this week. It was 102 degrees! There was zero chance I was going to turn on my oven. So, I turned Lemon Sponge Pie into Strawberry Lemon Gingerale Pops. I was really pleased with the results.

They were frosty, tangy, refreshing, and delicious – the perfect cure to my summertime woes.

STRAWBERRY LEMON GINGER ALE POPS
(Inspired by this recipe from What I Do)
Makes 4 popsicles

Method:
In a small bowl, mix together the diced strawberries, lemon zest, and grated ginger.

Place a spoonful of the strawberry mixture in each popsicle mold. Pour a bit of ginger ale (slowly, as it will fizz!) over the mixture, and top with a dollop of lemon sorbet. Repeat with each mold – strawberries, ginger beer, sorbet – until each is nearly full. Leave a very small amount of headspace at the top. Place lids/sticks the in the molds and freeze overnight.

And, please see below for the other creative contributions to this month’s recipe swap!

When life hands you lemons, you’re supposed to make lemonade. When life hands you a neck injury, however, it seems that you can’t make much of anything.

I’ve been stuck on the couch for three days. It hurts to move, it hurts to sit, it hurts to sleep. I’ve got my routine down: a glass of water, ibuprofen, ice (frozen peas) and heat (homemade sock rice pack). I watched an entire season of Project Runway yesterday. I’m going a little bit stir crazy. And while there’s never a good time to get injured, this weekend seemed like particularly bad timing. The Montavilla Farmer’s Market opened for its 6th season today. In addition, today is the deadline for the June Recipe Swap.

I’ve been planning this post for weeks. When Christianna (from Burwell General Store) emailed us the recipe for ‘Mint Pie‘, I knew that I was going to take the recipe in an entirely different direction.

You see, I’m one of the few people on the planet that doesn’t like the combination of chocolate and mint. I love chocolate. I love fresh mint. For whatever reason, I just don’t like them together. (Please don’t hate me!) Since it’s strawberry season in the Northwest – and since my mint plant is growing like crazy and threatening to take over the backyard – I decided to combine these two ingredients instead.

My apologies to all of the chocolate-and-mint lovers out there, but I’m officially on Team Strawberries-and-Mint. The combination is incredible! This dessert is a slight variation of a classic strawberry shortcake, but it’s the subtleties that make this recipe truly special. Perfectly ripe strawberries, purchased at the farmer’s market this morning. Fresh mint, plucked from my backyard. Hints of lemon, mint, black pepper, and cream. It all works together to create a light and airy spring treat that isn’t overly sweet or complicated. It’s just perfect.

Method:
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender (or knives, fingers, food processor, etc) cut in butter until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in mint and buttermilk, and mix until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead a couple of times and pat into a circle (with a 1″ thickness). Using a biscuit cutter (or juice glass), cut out the shortcakes. Place on a lined baking sheet, 1-2 inches apart. Optional: brush each cake with an egg wash and sprinkle with raw (or coarse grain) sugar before baking.

Place baking sheet in the oven on bottom rack and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, wash and de-stem the strawberries. Slice strawberries and place in a bowl. Toss with fresh mint, black pepper, lemon juice, and black pepper.

Mix the whipping cream, vanilla, sugar, and lemon zest together. Whip, using a whisk or electric mixer for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture is light and billowy. (Be careful not to overwhip! You want soft peaks.)

When the shortcakes have cooled, arrange each cake on a plate with a generous dollop of whipped cream and strawberries. Enjoy!